Love you videos, huge help! I just applied my second coat of nitro gloss finish and noticed a small hair/lint on the front and back. How long should I wait before I can lightly sand those out before I apply my final two coats? Thank you so much.
These are some of the most detailed refinishing tutorial videos I have seen so far. I wish I had access to these videos back when I was learning to finish a guitar back in high school (2004). Back then, all I had were articles on Project Guitar its forum. Keep up the good work. Nice hands, by the way.
Really enjoy this series of instructions on spraying Nitro. I am planning this very project this winter. Also loved you in the Addams Family movies. You're interpretation of "Thing" really brought him to life for the viewer in a way the TV series couldn't capture. Thumbs up.
Fantastic - best tutorial on this topic I've found, and I'm going to be basing my re-finish on your instruction. I'm re-finishing my 85 strat, first time attempting anything like this, I will record it on my new channel and publish referencing this series. Thanks again
Man, can’t wait for part 3!!!!! I’m doing this myself and will be auctioning a guitar for a fundraiser. It’s neat to see someone else doing the same thing
Great work! This is far away the best tutorail i've found on the internet and I'm gonna follow it for my own guitar project, but where is part 3? you're the best!
What a great tutorial. I was looking to buy a nitro finished body but all the ones I have come across do a really heavy relic job. I'm considering just doing this myself and let it wear naturally over time.
Started finishing an explorer in Olympic white nitro 3 years ago. It was hard to find good info and I ultimately gave up after I made a mistake. Now I've found this video I'm motivated to finally finish it! It's been a wet sanding kinda couple of days 👍
I'm a professional body man over 40 years. Video had one major thing that concerned me but otherwise well done. That is after he waited 24 hours for the paint to dry he went straight to clear coat. At this stage sanding isn't recommended but a midcoat adhesive is. Some will say that's not needed. I have found that in 5 years or more the clear will start to peel. Looks great out of the gate but not for longevity it's not worth missing this step. Especially with enamels and polyurethane. You can buy it in a spray can and it's the same exact step as his sealer. I also found this definitely helps on Sharp edges as well to help hold a little build up. Hope this helps
Yes I do realize this is lacquer. I just emphasize this is needed more over on finishes with hard shells. And a month is sufficient. I prefer to wait 6 weeks even longer for cure.
Great video, thanks for posting these. One thing I can’t quite get my brain around though as why in the world you painted such a beautiful piece of wood a solid color! 😮
Just revisiting these tutorials. Really great job Lone Star. I'm just getting into spraying Nitro, and I must admit, I def prefer it over spraying poly
Me too. It's also easy to fix your mistakes and you can use lacquer thinner to go back to the wood and put a new color on. Plus, your guitar will wear nicely unlike poly which is hard as a rock and when it chips, big chunks fly off and make the finish look ugly.
@@TheChattanoogaBandit I don't have guitars with chunks out of them. I've seen on pictures what they do look like. Sometimes what can happen is guitar can fall from your hands or tip over the stand and fall onto hard surface and can crack the heavy poly finish with chunks coming off.
Very good video. I always put a hook in strap button hole rather than drill neck pocket. I buy clear nitro at Home Depot for around $2 a can and use Tesco colors available at most hobby shops. The one near me has a great selection and the colors are even the same as some of the old Dupont auto colors. Not all are nitrocellulose, but not all Fender / Gibson custom colors were either. I learned you dont really need 6 sizes of grit. 400, 800, 1200 and a green Scotch brite will give you pro results. Finally, I love 3m Perfect It rubbing compound to buff out. You can hand buff with it just fine, but I use a friends wheel and man, it comes out like glass. It is expensive, but the best IMO and a little goes a long way.
Your work have excellent method with a quite clear speech. I will sure be following and hopefully you may go with Polyurethane works as well. Thanks a lot, all the best.
Most spray cans can do this easily. Even some rustoleum enamel paints. The trick is in the prep work. The smoother the surface before color is applied the nicer the finish. The only thing you must have is a good nozzle on the spray can and you can usually borrow the nice nozzle to replace the not so nice nozzle on cheaper spray cans. But yes, he did a great job spraying that body.
It's maybe a good idea to let the can sit in hot water (not boiling tho) for a while before applying if your cans are not brand new. It seems to help the compounds mixing together and have the lacquer more fluid. I mention that because I screwed up my finish badly while using a clear coat can that had probably be sitting for too long on the vendor shelf. Even after shaking the can for a while, there were still small clots of compounds that went through the finish, dissolving the color and leaving nasty pinholes. I've tried to smooth them and apply a few color coats over them, but I think I'm just going to pretend I intended a vintage look.
Great videos! Really appreciate all the work you put here to show in detail how to do this. I'm thinking of building a Mary Kay finish Tele, what process would you follow to get that finish?
Thanks alot, the videos are great! I've got a question though: If I've applied a coat of nitro, and some black particles of dust sticked on it, how long do I have to wait before I'll start wet sanding it?
Really nice tutorial, very clear. Do you know if I can use nitrocellulose such as these on stripped metal? The metal belongs to a pre-war typewriter and has been stripped of old paint and rust and is slightly abraded. If so, do you think the primer you use here also be a good choice? Thanks!
Great tutorial! Thanks. I'm planning to finish a les paul kit using nitro laquer. The top is a flamed maple, so obviously will not use primer and color (I will use dyes on the top and a colored grain filler for the body and neck). Just one question. Did you sand between one coat and the other of nitro lacquer? If so, with what grain?
First off awesome videos, thanks for taking the time to make them for us! I do have a possibly stupid question but I am new to painting. I am planning on trying to repaint my guitar in the style of Jimi Hendrix Monterey Strat. With all the talk about paint thickness I was wondering if painting the whole guitar red then adding white to just one part of the guitar might make the finish uneven? Is this a real concern or are paint layers thin enough it wont be noticeable? Thanks again
Thank you so much for these videos. Really detailed. I really like the way the grain shows through the primer. Can you stop there, not apply color and just apply the clear coat at that stage?
Very happy to see this. Part 1 got me interested in getting back into making my own guitar, and part 2 has come along just as I am gathering the materials. So many thanks for that! Have you ever dealt with rebel relics in NL? They offer a faded sonic blue spray, which I’ve not found elsewhere, which is perfect for my project, but their website is a little...lacking. Many thanks for your efforts.
Glad to hear that! I haven't dealt with Rebel Relics myself. I did notice that their nitro is quite expensive though. Do they ship overseas? Best of luck with your build!
Lone Star Guitars Agreed on it being expensive, but to colour seems to be unique to them and fits my build very well, so I’ve just accepted paying more. They offered worldwide shipping options, again expensive, so we will see if it arrives. Many thanks.
Thank you for this video!! Only one question: After grain filing we sans with 240 grit paper, and then directly go to the sanding sealer? Is there no finer grit paper to use before the sanding sealer?
I assume you're using the sanding sealer as a primer. In that case use 200 to 400 grit max. sandpaper. Any finer and it will clog up quickly. All a sanding sealer is, is a clear lacquer with more pigments and maybe more plasticizers, levelers, etc. in it to make the lacquer thicker so that it will fill pores and imperfections in the wood before color coats are applied. Otherwise you'll use ton of clear lacquer to fill the pores. Actually, wood filler is better than sanding sealer or lacquer because it won't sink into the wood. Any lacquer will sink into the wood overtime. Some people will prefer that old sink into wood look ie. relic freaks :) A primer's job is to create a level layer for the color coats.
Hi!!!! Thanks for the video. In the last color coat you got tiny bit orange peel and you said is easily be sanded later. You sand before clear coats or after?? And what sand paper use for it?? Thanks again for the video
Thanks for this series, it's incredible! I have a question for you. I have a body that I want to paint nitro black, but I don't want it to be super glossy looking. I'd like pick wear to wear thru the paint organically but faster than 40 years. I also had a thought that it'd be cool to first paint the guitar white, and then black so that nicks and scratches will expose the white beneath. Do you think I could get away with just using the white primer below black paint or being that this is my first project, should I abandon the two paint idea and keep it simple? I guess what I am getting at is I don't know how much 2 paints would complicate this process. Also any advice for how to paint it in order to expeditated the relic'ing process? Would skipping the final gloss coat work or would it look bad?
Great video! Will start spraying as soon as it´s warm enough outside. Question: For what ever reason I have a FFP2 mask here... :D Is that sufficient for doing one body? Or do I need more protection?
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have followed your advice, and have finished painting, ready for topcoat. The guitar looks awesome, even better than I expected. One problem I noticed though is a few small paint splatter drops. I feel like if I dry sand or wet sand to try to knock down the drops, then I need to sand the whole body. Other than the drops, the body is really nice and smooth. Any advice? Thanks.
You are very welcome. Why do you feel like you have to sand the entire body after knocking down some drips? Yes, those spots will look different (less shiny) from the rest of the finish, but when you apply the clear nitro it will dissolve into the color coat and everything will look smooth again. So no worries. Just make sure you clean the sanded areas well (make sure there isn't any sanding dust left, because that WILL show up in your clear coat), and check for any bubbles / pinholes in the finish where those drips used to be. Best of luck!
Use pvc pipes and drop cloth for spray booth. Cheap and can be taken down after job. Use two T's in the roof of the booth and put a cross pipe that you can use to hang guitar from.
Yep. I repurposed my wife's greenhouse of PVC by wrapping it in clear plastic. Its in my garage. Punched a hole near the floor and run a shop vac for ventillation. Spritz water to keep dust down.
Thank you for taking the time to produce such a clear and informative video! It it necessary to grain seal Alder bodies? If we do see orange peel after spraying, what is an appropriate amount of time to wait before sanding? Thank you.
Thanks! Alder usually does not require grain filling. If I have to do any sanding in between coats I usually wait 48 hours and then very carefully wet sand with 1000 grit sandpaper.
My shop is in an old mill building so dust is just an everyday occurrence regardless of what you do. What I’ve found is that closely inspecting the surface a few minutes after spraying will show you any “preliminary” dust. If you have REALLY steady hands, you can get down on it with an exacto knife and magnifying glasses then CAREFULLY remove any little pieces of dust. This works best while the lacquer is still a bit wet because it will normally fill in any tiny little dust gaps. If you discover some in an hour or two after the lacquer has dried, you can just remove if very gently with your fingernail. What you’re trying to avoid is accumulation. If you let it go or don’t pay attention, it won’t turn out as nice. If you shoot light coats warm lacquer in a dry environment and keep an eye out for dust, you’ll get a beautiful finish. It’s really not that difficult...there are just a few little things to keep track of. In the long run, lacquer and varnish are the two easiest finishes to work with, in my experience.
I agree, very forgiving paint. I must also point out that duplicolor acrylic lacquer paint is as forgiving as nitro. The spray nozzle will sometimes spit out blobs of paint when the paint is mostly gone from the can and those blobs will melt into the existing finish and you won't be able to notice it when it dries. Very cool and for those who want a little bit more resilient and lasting finish, it's the way to go.
I got very inspired by this Nitro guitar finish tutorial. I have a question: Did you sand the body in between the sanding sealer, primer, color and clear coat?
I’ve just applied a colour coat, and the can I am using says to wait 2-3 hours between coats, and it doesn’t say to sand. Should I be waiting 2-3 hours? Or 20 minutes like you have said in the vid?
hello sir!! its pretty cool tutorial! but may I have a question? Ive got quite expensive gibson with the satin finish, its really nice wood-looking walnut model, and I noticed I can do too many deep scrataches. I can do the big scraches with the finger-nail only!! is there any chance to put some lacquer on it without ruin the wooden structure? thank you many times!
Hi! I recently ordered my first guitar kit and looking forward to start building but I want to keep the wooden look and want to keep the wood as light (color) as possible... Every video i find they use some kind of oil but it darkens the wood. Any tips on products to use? Im aiming for a matte of satin look...
JcBs What kind of wood is it? Does it need grain filler? In general, I'd say use a grain filler that does not darken the wood (for example, Rustins grain filler - not the one I used in this tutorial). Then just spray a sealer and a satin nitro. That shouldn't change the appearance of the wood too much. Good luck!
Awesome ! Can I overspray my T-style guitar ? It has a swamp ash body and the back is transparent....I would like it to be brown see-through finish ! Can I make it ? Thanks for your answer and help 🙏👍
If you get heavy orange peel on the first coat, do you sand and then spray your second coat? Or can you apply all of your costs and deal with the orange peel at the end before starting the clear coat process?
Hi great Videos. So after you apply sanding sealer If im understanding correctly you sprayed a coat or so of lacquer finish coat before primer? Or did I misunderstand you.
hi there, have done my coloured nitro. Im going to apply my clear. can I do multiple coats over a few days, sanding between each, and then leave to cure. Or do I apply the coats, wait to cure and then sand?
How do you do a metallic nitro finish. I’ve tried 2 times and got slight orange peel on the metallic colour coat both times. Obviously you can’t sand it out on a metallic finish. How do I avoid this? I’m using cans also. Followed every step of this video. I don’t have access to a workshop or shed. It’s really getting me down not getting the results I want.
Great videos! Just a quick one, I'm looking at doing a strat build with a swamp ash body and sunburst nitro finish where you can also still see the wood grain. Would probably look at using the grain filler to make a nice smooth body, but it was when you applied the white primer to this that you couldn't see the grain. If you want the grain to be visible, would you still apply a primer? Are there clear primers or would the process be a little bit different? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I'm sorry for the late response! If you want the wood grain to show visually (meaning that the surface WILL be flat / grain filled) just follow all of the steps EXCEPT for the primer. Just apply grain filler, then a (transparent) sanding sealer, then your semi-transparent color coats and then your clear coats. A primer is not absolutely necessary. Best of luck!
Haviing troubles with runs in my colour coat too heavy of an application instead of a very light first coat how can I fix this without sanding it back to bare wood as it has a signature on the back.
Hey man! Your videos have been super helpful. I had a question with an issue that came up in my finish process. I just sprayed my first color coat tonight and I believe a bunch of moisture got trapped in it. Would you sand that first layer off and start clear coat over again?
Thank you for the interesting tutorial. How many spray cans of color/clear finish do you advise to purchase in order to apply the number of coats shown in the video? Thanx
Is it possible to create a mold with masking tape to paint a design? I would create the design with the tape, paint the rest of the body, then apply tape to the rest of the body and spray the design
great video series. What steps are needed to refinish an older guitar already spayed with nitro in the same color? Does the old finish need to be stripped to bare wood?
No unless it's too bumpy or heavily damaged. Normally you just lightly sand the gunk off and spray a new layer of color coat and then clear and you're done. Nitro adheres to old nitro just fine because the top layer will melt the bottom or old color layer and the two will melt together. If for some reason you need to strip the entire body back to the wood then I would use lacquer thinner or alcohol on a rag and wipe the body down. Fender used to spray different finishes on top of old finishes all the time. They also didn't use clear on some finishes or didn't use sanding sealer on others, etc. Very mish mash of doing things. Usually they ran out of paint so they just skipped some steps.
I'm refinishing a Warmoth Tele with ReRanch Fender Blonde. I'm ready to clear coat the Tele. ReRanch has been out of business for awhile because of Covid 19 but they have all the Fender colors in nitro. I use a handle on my paint cans, much easier to control. I wear a mask from Harbor Freight.
I was going to go with reranch but then I changed my mind and went with duplicolor sanding sealer then duplicolor perfect color match and finally watco clear nitro lacquer. The acrylic duplicolor is some tough paint I must say. After five years, the watco is starting to peel off in areas where guitar touches my body when I play the guitar. I love how watco easily checks as well. It dries hard and it's not sticky on the neck or body. Next time I would go with duplicolor clear instead of the watco but I wanted checking pattern because I like the old relic look so I used watco for that.
Part 3 is finally up! I hope you all enjoy it.
Where's the link for the clear coat?
Love you videos, huge help! I just applied my second coat of nitro gloss finish and noticed a small hair/lint on the front and back. How long should I wait before I can lightly sand those out before I apply my final two coats? Thank you so much.
Can you put a oil finished neck on a nitro finished body?
This dude's hands are the star of the vid
These are some of the most detailed refinishing tutorial videos I have seen so far. I wish I had access to these videos back when I was learning to finish a guitar back in high school (2004). Back then, all I had were articles on Project Guitar its forum. Keep up the good work. Nice hands, by the way.
Really enjoy this series of instructions on spraying Nitro. I am planning this very project this winter. Also loved you in the Addams Family movies. You're interpretation of "Thing" really brought him to life for the viewer in a way the TV series couldn't capture. Thumbs up.
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - Spray Conditions
1:36 - Temperature
2:24 - Humidity
2:52 - Air Flow
3:27 - Dust/ Location
4:32 - Spray Technique
4:55 - Workpiece Positioning
6:22 - Hand Movement
7:53 - The Spraying Process
9:38 - Clean the Body
11:10 - Inspection
12:23 - Primer Coat
13:44 - Color Coat
14:45 - Clear Coat
15:42 - Results
Fantastic - best tutorial on this topic I've found, and I'm going to be basing my re-finish on your instruction. I'm re-finishing my 85 strat, first time attempting anything like this, I will record it on my new channel and publish referencing this series. Thanks again
Man, can’t wait for part 3!!!!! I’m doing this myself and will be auctioning a guitar for a fundraiser. It’s neat to see someone else doing the same thing
Sounds like a great project! Part 3 is almost finished. I hope it'll help you out.
The best I've seen and believe me I've watched tons of videos.
Very informative, i am very keen on trying this myself soon. Please make more videos, YOU ROCK MAN!!!
Thanks! Part 3 is coming very soon!
So helpful, full of detail and really great advice. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, really appreciate it!
Great work! This is far away the best tutorail i've found on the internet and I'm gonna follow it for my own guitar project, but where is part 3? you're the best!
Part 3 is coming very soon!
What a great tutorial. I was looking to buy a nitro finished body but all the ones I have come across do a really heavy relic job. I'm considering just doing this myself and let it wear naturally over time.
these videos are awesome! Thanks so much - have helped my first time finishing job immensely!
Started finishing an explorer in Olympic white nitro 3 years ago. It was hard to find good info and I ultimately gave up after I made a mistake. Now I've found this video I'm motivated to finally finish it! It's been a wet sanding kinda couple of days 👍
Great to hear that! Glad to be of help. Best of luck with your project.
Good color choice! Another great lesson and show, thank you.
Thx for the nice tutorial! God I love the way nitro finishes reflect light.
Wow I was looking for this tutorial for the longest time, I feel I went to a luthier school already, thanks for your hard work my friend
Good to hear! Thanks for watching.
Very enjoyable video! Thank you for taking the time😊
Looking forward to part 3!
Beautiful work and great tutorial, thanks again!
Best tutorial I’ve found. Thank you.
Your hands speak well, Thanks for great video and I really appreciate your work and knowldge
I'm a professional body man over 40 years. Video had one major thing that concerned me but otherwise well done. That is after he waited 24 hours for the paint to dry he went straight to clear coat. At this stage sanding isn't recommended but a midcoat adhesive is. Some will say that's not needed. I have found that in 5 years or more the clear will start to peel. Looks great out of the gate but not for longevity it's not worth missing this step. Especially with enamels and polyurethane. You can buy it in a spray can and it's the same exact step as his sealer. I also found this definitely helps on Sharp edges as well to help hold a little build up. Hope this helps
Yes I do realize this is lacquer. I just emphasize this is needed more over on finishes with hard shells. And a month is sufficient. I prefer to wait 6 weeks even longer for cure.
Oh and maybe a couple sock puppets for the hands. LOL
At this point I kind of feel like if I saw you on the street somewhere I would recognize you just from your hands... :)
Looking forward to part three!
Maybe I should start wearing gloves to stop people from recognizing me... Part 3 is coming soon!
Little 'Ol Me lol
😂
What a great tutorial,........heading for part 3..........thanks !
Great job on this and thanks for posting!
best video on this topic I have found
Great video, thanks for posting these. One thing I can’t quite get my brain around though as why in the world you painted such a beautiful piece of wood a solid color! 😮
I used to love the Talking Heads, but I am really learning a lot from the Talking Hands. Thank you!
I just started paint my guitar with your advice !
Subed bro, thsi is what i was looking for, for my first project!
Just revisiting these tutorials. Really great job Lone Star. I'm just getting into spraying Nitro, and I must admit, I def prefer it over spraying poly
Me too. It's also easy to fix your mistakes and you can use lacquer thinner to go back to the wood and put a new color on. Plus, your guitar will wear nicely unlike poly which is hard as a rock and when it chips, big chunks fly off and make the finish look ugly.
@@jcd13able what in the world are you doing with your guitar to “knock chunks” out of it??
@@TheChattanoogaBandit I don't have guitars with chunks out of them. I've seen on pictures what they do look like. Sometimes what can happen is guitar can fall from your hands or tip over the stand and fall onto hard surface and can crack the heavy poly finish with chunks coming off.
Thanks for this great tutorial.
Very good video. I always put a hook in strap button hole rather than drill neck pocket. I buy clear nitro at Home Depot for around $2 a can and use Tesco colors available at most hobby shops. The one near me has a great selection and the colors are even the same as some of the old Dupont auto colors. Not all are nitrocellulose, but not all Fender / Gibson custom colors were either. I learned you dont really need 6 sizes of grit. 400, 800, 1200 and a green Scotch brite will give you pro results. Finally, I love 3m Perfect It rubbing compound to buff out. You can hand buff with it just fine, but I use a friends wheel and man, it comes out like glass. It is expensive, but the best IMO and a little goes a long way.
Very nice. I learned stuff. I would never drill more holes in the neck pocket to mount a stick. Use the body holes and mount the stick like a neck.
Nice job man!
Thanks!
Your work have excellent method with a quite clear speech.
I will sure be following and hopefully you may go with Polyurethane works as well.
Thanks a lot, all the best.
Thank you! Maybe I will do a poly tutorial in the future.
Waiting for the lacquer to cure can be tough, but it is vital to getting great results. I like to wait 6 weeks.
It sure is. The softer it is, the more difficult it is to get a nice gloss going.
I think this is the cleanest spray can finishes I've ever seen...
Most spray cans can do this easily. Even some rustoleum enamel paints. The trick is in the prep work. The smoother the surface before color is applied the nicer the finish. The only thing you must have is a good nozzle on the spray can and you can usually borrow the nice nozzle to replace the not so nice nozzle on cheaper spray cans. But yes, he did a great job spraying that body.
Informative, thank you. Not sure we need to so so much footage of hand gestures though.
It's maybe a good idea to let the can sit in hot water (not boiling tho) for a while before applying if your cans are not brand new. It seems to help the compounds mixing together and have the lacquer more fluid. I mention that because I screwed up my finish badly while using a clear coat can that had probably be sitting for too long on the vendor shelf. Even after shaking the can for a while, there were still small clots of compounds that went through the finish, dissolving the color and leaving nasty pinholes. I've tried to smooth them and apply a few color coats over them, but I think I'm just going to pretend I intended a vintage look.
As much as I love surf green that was a beautifullly figured piece of Ash you tragically painted over.
halfway followed this video on my first body and it came out alright. Follow it to a T and my second body came out immaculate
Great videos! Really appreciate all the work you put here to show in detail how to do this. I'm thinking of building a Mary Kay finish Tele, what process would you follow to get that finish?
Thanks alot, the videos are great!
I've got a question though:
If I've applied a coat of nitro, and some black particles of dust sticked on it, how long do I have to wait before I'll start wet sanding it?
Great tutorial! Very helpful; only one question; if I wanted to stain my guitar, would I put the grain filler on before or after I stain it?
Really nice tutorial, very clear. Do you know if I can use nitrocellulose such as these on stripped metal? The metal belongs to a pre-war typewriter and has been stripped of old paint and rust and is slightly abraded. If so, do you think the primer you use here also be a good choice? Thanks!
Any specific recommendations for spraying a set-neck guitar? I really wanna try and do an LP Jr kit for my first build.
Great videos. Informative, clear and consise. Especially for a beginner like me. A little weird staring at your hands the whole time tho.
This video is handy
Great tutorial! Thanks.
I'm planning to finish a les paul kit using nitro laquer. The top is a flamed maple, so obviously will not use primer and color (I will use dyes on the top and a colored grain filler for the body and neck).
Just one question. Did you sand between one coat and the other of nitro lacquer? If so, with what grain?
Sounds like you have a slight accent, maybe French (like French Canadian) your tutorial is thorough and was very helpful. Thanks.
First off awesome videos, thanks for taking the time to make them for us! I do have a possibly stupid question but I am new to painting. I am planning on trying to repaint my guitar in the style of Jimi Hendrix Monterey Strat. With all the talk about paint thickness I was wondering if painting the whole guitar red then adding white to just one part of the guitar might make the finish uneven? Is this a real concern or are paint layers thin enough it wont be noticeable? Thanks again
Thank you
Can you do exactly the same sort of video, but this time for a 'clear natural' wood finish please?
Thank you so much for these videos. Really detailed. I really like the way the grain shows through the primer. Can you stop there, not apply color and just apply the clear coat at that stage?
Excellent tip! Thank you! Have you done any work with Nitro that produces a "crackle" or a vintage look?
Hello, very interesting video. Just a question... How do you protect or cover the string ferrules holes? Thank you.
What a beautiful Ash body. I would have loved a clear lacquer to show off that grain.
The hands have spoken!
Very happy to see this. Part 1 got me interested in getting back into making my own guitar, and part 2 has come along just as I am gathering the materials. So many thanks for that!
Have you ever dealt with rebel relics in NL? They offer a faded sonic blue spray, which I’ve not found elsewhere, which is perfect for my project, but their website is a little...lacking.
Many thanks for your efforts.
Glad to hear that! I haven't dealt with Rebel Relics myself. I did notice that their nitro is quite expensive though. Do they ship overseas? Best of luck with your build!
Lone Star Guitars Agreed on it being expensive, but to colour seems to be unique to them and fits my build very well, so I’ve just accepted paying more. They offered worldwide shipping options, again expensive, so we will see if it arrives.
Many thanks.
Thank you for this video!! Only one question:
After grain filing we sans with 240 grit paper, and then directly go to the sanding sealer?
Is there no finer grit paper to use before the sanding sealer?
I assume you're using the sanding sealer as a primer. In that case use 200 to 400 grit max. sandpaper. Any finer and it will clog up quickly. All a sanding sealer is, is a clear lacquer with more pigments and maybe more plasticizers, levelers, etc. in it to make the lacquer thicker so that it will fill pores and imperfections in the wood before color coats are applied. Otherwise you'll use ton of clear lacquer to fill the pores. Actually, wood filler is better than sanding sealer or lacquer because it won't sink into the wood. Any lacquer will sink into the wood overtime. Some people will prefer that old sink into wood look ie. relic freaks :) A primer's job is to create a level layer for the color coats.
Hi!!!! Thanks for the video. In the last color coat you got tiny bit orange peel and you said is easily be sanded later. You sand before clear coats or after?? And what sand paper use for it?? Thanks again for the video
Thanks for this series, it's incredible!
I have a question for you. I have a body that I want to paint nitro black, but I don't want it to be super glossy looking. I'd like pick wear to wear thru the paint organically but faster than 40 years. I also had a thought that it'd be cool to first paint the guitar white, and then black so that nicks and scratches will expose the white beneath. Do you think I could get away with just using the white primer below black paint or being that this is my first project, should I abandon the two paint idea and keep it simple? I guess what I am getting at is I don't know how much 2 paints would complicate this process. Also any advice for how to paint it in order to expeditated the relic'ing process? Would skipping the final gloss coat work or would it look bad?
hey thanx for the guidance on nitro spraying but whats with the hands on the table vid ?
Great video! Will start spraying as soon as it´s warm enough outside.
Question: For what ever reason I have a FFP2 mask here... :D Is that sufficient for doing one body? Or do I need more protection?
hello i would know how much time between coats of drying of vanish and what number sandpaper to sand down for vanish ? Thanks
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I have followed your advice, and have finished painting, ready for topcoat. The guitar looks awesome, even better than I expected.
One problem I noticed though is a few small paint splatter drops. I feel like if I dry sand or wet sand to try to knock down the drops, then I need to sand the whole body. Other than the drops, the body is really nice and smooth. Any advice? Thanks.
You are very welcome. Why do you feel like you have to sand the entire body after knocking down some drips? Yes, those spots will look different (less shiny) from the rest of the finish, but when you apply the clear nitro it will dissolve into the color coat and everything will look smooth again. So no worries. Just make sure you clean the sanded areas well (make sure there isn't any sanding dust left, because that WILL show up in your clear coat), and check for any bubbles / pinholes in the finish where those drips used to be. Best of luck!
Yes, those splatters will melt into existing coats same with acrylic paints.
Great video, I would love to see a video on home built spray booths if that is something you could provide.
Use pvc pipes and drop cloth for spray booth. Cheap and can be taken down after job. Use two T's in the roof of the booth and put a cross pipe that you can use to hang guitar from.
Yep. I repurposed my wife's greenhouse of PVC by wrapping it in clear plastic. Its in my garage. Punched a hole near the floor and run a shop vac for ventillation. Spritz water to keep dust down.
Thanks for the Great Video!
What grit should I use to sand the Filler/Primer if I find any imperfections?
Thank you for taking the time to produce such a clear and informative video! It it necessary to grain seal Alder bodies? If we do see orange peel after spraying, what is an appropriate amount of time to wait before sanding? Thank you.
Thanks! Alder usually does not require grain filling. If I have to do any sanding in between coats I usually wait 48 hours and then very carefully wet sand with 1000 grit sandpaper.
This looks like so much fun! Shame I live in a tiny apartment☹️
My shop is in an old mill building so dust is just an everyday occurrence regardless of what you do. What I’ve found is that closely inspecting the surface a few minutes after spraying will show you any “preliminary” dust. If you have REALLY steady hands, you can get down on it with an exacto knife and magnifying glasses then CAREFULLY remove any little pieces of dust. This works best while the lacquer is still a bit wet because it will normally fill in any tiny little dust gaps. If you discover some in an hour or two after the lacquer has dried, you can just remove if very gently with your fingernail. What you’re trying to avoid is accumulation. If you let it go or don’t pay attention, it won’t turn out as nice. If you shoot light coats warm lacquer in a dry environment and keep an eye out for dust, you’ll get a beautiful finish. It’s really not that difficult...there are just a few little things to keep track of. In the long run, lacquer and varnish are the two easiest finishes to work with, in my experience.
I agree, very forgiving paint. I must also point out that duplicolor acrylic lacquer paint is as forgiving as nitro. The spray nozzle will sometimes spit out blobs of paint when the paint is mostly gone from the can and those blobs will melt into the existing finish and you won't be able to notice it when it dries. Very cool and for those who want a little bit more resilient and lasting finish, it's the way to go.
I got very inspired by this Nitro guitar finish tutorial. I have a question: Did you sand the body in between the sanding sealer, primer, color and clear coat?
I’ve just applied a colour coat, and the can I am using says to wait 2-3 hours between coats, and it doesn’t say to sand.
Should I be waiting 2-3 hours? Or 20 minutes like you have said in the vid?
Question if you get s run in the paint do you have a suggestion how to get it out without sanding down to the wood and repaint?
When doing a transparent, do you use the sealer, or do you skip it? Do you have a video on that?
hello sir!! its pretty cool tutorial! but may I have a question? Ive got quite expensive gibson with the satin finish, its really nice wood-looking walnut model, and I noticed I can do too many deep scrataches. I can do the big scraches with the finger-nail only!! is there any chance to put some lacquer on it without ruin the wooden structure? thank you many times!
Hi!
I recently ordered my first guitar kit and looking forward to start building but I want to keep the wooden look and want to keep the wood as light (color) as possible... Every video i find they use some kind of oil but it darkens the wood. Any tips on products to use? Im aiming for a matte of satin look...
JcBs What kind of wood is it? Does it need grain filler? In general, I'd say use a grain filler that does not darken the wood (for example, Rustins grain filler - not the one I used in this tutorial). Then just spray a sealer and a satin nitro. That shouldn't change the appearance of the wood too much. Good luck!
Awesome ! Can I overspray my T-style guitar ? It has a swamp ash body and the back is transparent....I would like it to be brown see-through finish ! Can I make it ? Thanks for your answer and help 🙏👍
In the paint or the clear coat did you do any sanding in between each one?
Ty
Ones guitar is with a nitro finished, can anyone says if its 1 or 2 pieaces body under the paint? Im tryint go find out for my partcaster.
It's like getting learn to paint with "THING and his brother..... when will we see part 3 ??????
If you get heavy orange peel on the first coat, do you sand and then spray your second coat? Or can you apply all of your costs and deal with the orange peel at the end before starting the clear coat process?
Hi great Videos. So after you apply sanding sealer If im understanding correctly you sprayed a coat or so of lacquer finish coat before primer? Or did I misunderstand you.
hi there, have done my coloured nitro. Im going to apply my clear. can I do multiple coats over a few days, sanding between each, and then leave to cure. Or do I apply the coats, wait to cure and then sand?
If I'm doing a glued neck kit like a LP should I glue it first or do the sanding and grain filler if I plan to also paint the neck?
Such a beautiful natural wood on that body
Hi- Which of the product links is the nitro sealer? and which is the primer?
Awesome video!! How many cans of clear did you use?
How do you do a metallic nitro finish. I’ve tried 2 times and got slight orange peel on the metallic colour coat both times. Obviously you can’t sand it out on a metallic finish. How do I avoid this? I’m using cans also. Followed every step of this video. I don’t have access to a workshop or shed. It’s really getting me down not getting the results I want.
Great videos! Just a quick one, I'm looking at doing a strat build with a swamp ash body and sunburst nitro finish where you can also still see the wood grain. Would probably look at using the grain filler to make a nice smooth body, but it was when you applied the white primer to this that you couldn't see the grain. If you want the grain to be visible, would you still apply a primer? Are there clear primers or would the process be a little bit different? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
I'm sorry for the late response! If you want the wood grain to show visually (meaning that the surface WILL be flat / grain filled) just follow all of the steps EXCEPT for the primer. Just apply grain filler, then a (transparent) sanding sealer, then your semi-transparent color coats and then your clear coats. A primer is not absolutely necessary. Best of luck!
That's great, thanks for the reply! :)
Haviing troubles with runs in my colour coat too heavy of an application instead of a very light first coat how can I fix this without sanding it back to bare wood as it has a signature on the back.
Hey man! Your videos have been super helpful. I had a question with an issue that came up in my finish process. I just sprayed my first color coat tonight and I believe a bunch of moisture got trapped in it. Would you sand that first layer off and start clear coat over again?
Thank you for the interesting tutorial. How many spray cans of color/clear finish do you advise to purchase in order to apply the number of coats shown in the video? Thanx
One, possibly two cans of color and one can of clear I would think. I buy two cans of color in case I screw up and I always do :)
How long would it take from start to finish to refinish a poly sunburst stratocaster into a nitro sunburst?
Is it possible to create a mold with masking tape to paint a design? I would create the design with the tape, paint the rest of the body, then apply tape to the rest of the body and spray the design
great video series. What steps are needed to refinish an older guitar already spayed with nitro in the same color? Does the old finish need to be stripped to bare wood?
No unless it's too bumpy or heavily damaged. Normally you just lightly sand the gunk off and spray a new layer of color coat and then clear and you're done. Nitro adheres to old nitro just fine because the top layer will melt the bottom or old color layer and the two will melt together. If for some reason you need to strip the entire body back to the wood then I would use lacquer thinner or alcohol on a rag and wipe the body down. Fender used to spray different finishes on top of old finishes all the time. They also didn't use clear on some finishes or didn't use sanding sealer on others, etc. Very mish mash of doing things. Usually they ran out of paint so they just skipped some steps.
I'm refinishing a Warmoth Tele with ReRanch Fender Blonde. I'm ready to clear coat the Tele. ReRanch has been out of business for awhile because of Covid 19 but they have all the Fender colors in nitro. I use a handle on my paint cans, much easier to control. I wear a mask from Harbor Freight.
I was going to go with reranch but then I changed my mind and went with duplicolor sanding sealer then duplicolor perfect color match and finally watco clear nitro lacquer. The acrylic duplicolor is some tough paint I must say. After five years, the watco is starting to peel off in areas where guitar touches my body when I play the guitar. I love how watco easily checks as well. It dries hard and it's not sticky on the neck or body. Next time I would go with duplicolor clear instead of the watco but I wanted checking pattern because I like the old relic look so I used watco for that.